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ÀMÓDI IN THE PRACTICE OF IFÁ DIVINATION: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Àmódi in the Understanding of the Babaláwo

Babaláwo are known to make distinctions between àìsàn ara (physical diseases) and àmódi. Àìsàn ara is known to have logical and explainable disease aetiology. This makes diagnosis possible with the use of ordinary diagnostic tools which include mere physical examination because symptoms are understood within existing categories. Buckley (1997) made references to existing categories such as, diseases caused by kòkòrò (bacteria), aràn (worm), etc. There exists a constant link between the symptoms and disease aetiologies, such that certain symptoms are taken as indicators or symptoms of kòkòrò or aràn. In such cases, prescriptions are easily given because the symptoms are logical consequences of understood disease aetiologies.

On the other hand, àmódi in the understanding of the babaláwo presents symptoms that resemble the symptoms of àìsàn ara. The difference lies in the concealed disease aetiology, such that similar symptoms have different causation, making it difficult or impossible for the same prescription to work in two similar conditions. The causes of àmódi may be concealed by supernatural forces; that is, àìsàn ara tí àwọn ìyà mi5 fi ọwọ bò mọ ‟lẹ (natural diseases that witches have prevented from being diagnosed or treated). This happens when àwọn ìyà mi tampers with the process of diagnosis, making all the test results come out negative.6 They may at other times prevent prescribed potent medicine from being effective.7

5Àwọn ìyà mi are also known as Àjẹ . They are not bad or wicked people, as they act only when they are disturbed or prompted to act. It is believed that Olódùmarè gave them so much power that cannot be taken away from them. Even ọ rúnmìlà could not take the power from them but he was able to make a pact with them to know what they would demand in exchange for affliction, so that they can grant release to people when they are appeased. Interview with Awo Ifaniyi Asani Olapojoye, a babaláwo practicing in Ibadan, on the 10th of March, 2011

6 There are no scientific proofs for this claim, but it is generally believed and accepted.

7 Interview with Ak gun Awo-agbaye, Ifatayo Awogbile on the 8th of March, 2011,

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All the babaláwo that were interviewed for this study hold that the distinguishing character of àmódi is the culturally understood disease aetiology that does not exist in the paradigm of Western healthcare. Patients suffering from àmódi have symptoms that are identifiable in the sphere of Western method of healthcare, but the diagnosis and treatments prescribed are not effective. This is because the symptoms are real as perceived but the treatment is either being interfered with by some forces that Western method of diagnosis cannot perceive or the symptoms do not reflect the true disease aetiology.

The symptoms that the patients that were observed for this study exhibited resembled the symptoms that a typical àìsàn ara would manifest, but the disease aetiologies found through Ifá divination were different from what Western medical practitioners had queried.

For the babaláwo, somatoform disorder is traditionally called àmódi. These are conditions with no particular pattern and cannot be easily named. They are human induced illnesses with possible causes in

―sorcery, witchcraft, spirit disturbances or breaching of social-religious obligations and taboos especially with regard to the ancestors (living dead)‖ (Whisson, 1974:286; Mbiti, 1969:160) and from the findings of this study, one can add orí, àì-kò-béèrè and ìrírí-ayé to the list of disease aetiologies. Conditions resulting from the disease aetiologies mentioned above are believed to be beyond biomedicine. They have to be referred to traditional healers, because ―disease and illness have multiple causes such that sometimes the symptoms are confusing, thereby leading to pragmatic therapy-seeking, both in modern and in traditional medicine‖ (Sindiga, 1995:20). This leads to ―the HYGSE (have you got something else?) syndrome‖

(Kayne, 2009:401).

Among the babaláwo, even though àmódi is not easily understood, it is still considered to be treatable with the use of Ifá divination. Diagnosis and subsequent treatments of àmódi are found in the Ifá literary corpus.8

The Yoruba believe that àmódi is associated with culturally understood and accepted disease aetiologies, which are excluded from the classification found in Western medicine. The findings of this study revealed different disease aetiologies such as Ìjà Èsù, attack from Èsù (patient „A‟); Èèwọ 9, taboo (patients B, C, D

8 Interview with Ifasesan Ojekunle, an Ifá priest of the Òsé-méjì temple in Ibadan. 9th of Sept., 2010.

9Interview with Awo Ifalowo Ifakayode Oyasogo on the 7th of March 2011.He narrated a story to buttress the belief that èè ọ can cause diseases. He said there was a pastor who had children that died one after the other. Their death occurred once they attained some certain months. They had different kinds of tests, but only after divination did they find out that they were from a family of ọ n devotees, and this meant that they were forbidden to eat guinea corn. They were also not supposed to have their bath with hot water. The children died once they were switched from breast milk to pap made from guinea corn. This story was known because a son of the pastor who was in his late twenties refused to eat guinea corn with Awo Ifalowo Ifakayode Oyasogo. This made him conclude that he must be from an sun family. It took the explanation of the father, for the young man to know that that was why he had to abstain from guinea corn and hot water, so as to stay alive.

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& E); Orí, one‘s personality soul (patients F, G, H, & S10); Ìwà búburú, bad character (patients I, J, K, L, M, N & O); Ayé/àjẹ, witches (Patient P, Q, R & S); Àì-kò-béèrè, lack of divination (patient T) and Ìrírí ayé, life experiences (patients U, V & W).

Since healthcare is a part of every social and cultural system, babaláwo, when necessary, trace disease aetiologies to the society and the cultural environment of patients. Diseases are perceived to be imbalances, which are consequences of one‘s neglect of social, cultural and family traditional norms.

A part of the Ifá literary corpus, Ogbè atẹ:

fò ire (positive incantation) describes àmódi as:

Òlího lapefa, Ibaàmù, Sége lórí oró, ojó tí e ntí ìkòlé òrun bò wá sílé ayé,

èyin métèèta, e di orita-méta, àpáta méta, àgbánsálá, Oníkálukú yin, e pín ohùn, oníkálukú yin, e yí wo ilé-Ifè lo.

5 rúnmìlà bí ọmọ sí òde Ifè.

Àwon ìyókù, wọ n ò bí ọmọ.

Ógù se gàdà, Ógù se gèdé,

wọ n ní àwọn ó ma da àwọn ọmọ rúnmìlà tí o bí sí òde ayé láàmú, Àwon ọmọ rúnmìlà bèrè sí nse ògbògbò àrùn,

10 Won na ojú aláìle dìde,

rúnmìlà wá késí Àtàpán tèrukù mole, Omo awo Òrúnmìlà,

Ó ní kí ó wá ye òun ní oókan ìbò, Ó rú ebo, ebo ò gbà,

15 Ó ké sí Apansáká yoró, Sìgìdì meji omo Olòtò,

Omo awo Òrúnmìlà ni òun náà nse.

Òun ná wò wán lárùn, Kò rí won wò.

20 Òrúnmìlà á ko‟rí í òde òr n, Ó lo rèé bá Olódùmarè, Òrúnmìlà so fun Olódùmarè pé

ní ile ayé tí àwon lo, àwon ti àwon jo lo ilé ayé, won nda àwon omo òun láàmú ní òde ayé.

25 Àwon omo òun nse ògbògbò àrùn, Won na ojú aláìle dìde.

Òun ké sí àwon omo awo òun, Wón wòó títí, sùgbón won kò sàn, Ni òun fi wá bá èyin Olódùmarè bayi.

30 Olódùmarè so pé kí Òrúnmìlà ó tójú Òpá aso funfun kan, ahun kan, ìgbín kan, Kí ó tójú ewé eso, kí ó tójú edan, tako tabo.

Olódùmarè á ní kí Òrúnmìlà ó tójú egba‟fà (igba méfà)

10 Patient S fits into Orí (one‘s spirit) and Ayé/àjé (witches) disease aetiologies respectively.

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Olódùmarè ní kí ó kó gbogbo àwon nkan wònyí 35 Kí ó jó won papò tí ó bá dé òde ayé.

Kí ó wá mú owó àti aso funfun, Kí ó ko ‟ílè ní òde òr n,

Kí àwon awo ode òrun máa báa fi se ìwúre Kí ire náà ó sì ma aba ní òde ayé.

40 Òrúnmìlà wá bó sí ojà èjìgbòmekùn, Ó ra gbogbo àwon nkan wòn yí,

Ó kó òpá a o f nf n ati o ó í‟lè ní ode òr n, Ó kó àwon nkan tí ó kù lo sí ode aye,

Ó jó won bí Olódùmarè se pàse.

45 Ó bèrè sí nfi fó èke mu, Ó nfún àwon omo rè mu,

Kò pé, kò jìnà, àwon omo Òrúnmìlà bèrè síní ma jeun, Wón bere sini mu, won dìde òjòjò,

Won dide àmódi.

50 Òrúnmìlà ni, ewé èsò, ni òun yíò fi so gbogbo ibi àmódi tí nbe l‟ára à on omo ò n kúrò,

tí won yíò jé ogbó jé ató, ní òde ìsálá ayé.

Agborakoro ni t‟ah n, agborakoro ni ti ìgbín, Emá mà da epo sí àlà mi, àlà ni mo wò, 55 K‟áyé má le ba ayé àwon omo mi jé.

Mo ti rú egba‟fa, e fa gbogbo ibi kúrò l‟ára „mi, l‟ára omo mi.

Ogbè atè, e fi bá mi te gbogbo ibi àmódi kúrò L‟ára mi, l‟ára omo mi.

Òlího lapefa, Ibaàmù, Sége lórí oró,

The day you were coming from heaven to earth

Three of you turned to three cross roads, three broad and spread rocks, Each of you separated and entered Ilé-Ifè,

5 rúnmìlà bore children in the homestead of Ilé-Ifè.

But the others did not bear children.

After a while

They conspire to disturb the children of rúnmìlà

rúnmìlà‘s children were afflicted with different diseases, 10 They had the look of a paralised person,

rúnmìlà invited Àtàpán tèrukù mole, His own divination student.

rúnmìlà asked that Àtàpán tèrukù mole should divine for him.

He offered sacrifice, but it was not accepted.

15 He invited Apansáká yoró, Sìgìdì mejì ọmọ Olòtò, Who is also rúnmìlà‘s divination student.

He also descended from heaven, He too tried to heal rúnmìlà‘s children, But did not succeed.

20 Then rúnmìlà, headed for heaven, To meet with Olódùmarè,

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rúnmìlà told Olódùmarè that,

His companions that went with him to earth, Have been troubling his children on earth.

25 His children have been having different serious sicknesses, They had the look of a paralysed person.

He reported that he invited his divination students, They tried, but the children were not healed.

This has made me come to you, rúnmìlà.

30 Olódùmarè instructed that rúnmìlà should prepare:

A yard of white cloth, one tortoise, one snail, Eso leaf, edan, male and female.

Olódùmarè then instructed rúnmìlà to prepare one thousand two hundred.

He was instructed rúnmìlà to gather all these items together, 35 And burn them together on his return to the earth.

But he was to leave the money and the white cloth in heaven, For the diviners in heaven to continue to use in interceding for him, So that blessing will be his on earth.

rúnmìlà went to èjìgbòmekùn market, 40 He bought all that was prescribed,

He left the yard of white cloth and the money in heaven, And returned to earth with the other items,

He burnt them as instructed by Olódùmarè, He mixed the ashes with pap and drank, 45 He also gave some to his children to drink.

Not too long, rúnmìlà‟ children started to eat, And started to drink, they recovered from the disease, They recovered from somatoform disorder.

rúnmìlà resolved to use masquerade leaf to prevent all somatoform disorder, 50 That is manifest in his children,

Such that they will live long on earth.

A tortoise still crawls in its old age, same with the snail, Please don‘t stain my white garment, I am wearing white, So that witches cannot destroy the lives of my children,

55 I offered a thousand two hundred, drain all evil from my body, from my children‘s body.

Use Ogbè atè, to drain all the evil of àmódi away, From my body, from my children.11

This verse from Ogbè atè explains possible symptoms of àmódi as was found in the cases of rúnmìlà‘s children and it also points to the possibility of treating as well as the nature of treatment that is required when àmódi is diagnosed.